This is a collaborative post.
Making the decision to eat less meat comes with lots of benefits, from helping the environment and animals to saving yourself some money. With just a few very simple swaps, you can still get all your protein and essential vitamins without eating meat or poultry. Little changes can make a big difference.
Here are just a few easy ways to start introducing meat-free meals to your diet:
5 tips for anyone looking to go meat-free
Staple ingredients
Our kitchens play a huge part in mealtimes and if you stock your cupboards with some basic ingredients, you’ll make life much easier for yourself when making the move to go meat-free.
Ideally, you should aim to have a few interchangeable items that’ll work in lots of different veggie or vegan recipes. Think whole grains, pulses and canned foods. Also, have a look at your spice rack; you want to be sure you can turn these straight-forward staples into flavourful dishes.
Simple substitutes
Once you’ve got some basic ingredients you feel comfortable cooking with, let’s look at some meat substitutes. This used to be fairly slim pickings, whereas now there’s plenty for you to pick from.
From cocktail sausages and chicken strips to bacon and burgers, there are lots of meat substitutes you can try. These alternatives can make your meal planning super simple because you can stick to dishes you know, but just swap out the meat for a veggie-friendly option.
If you’re thinking of going completely vegan, check out my previous post on Just Love Food Co’s vegan celebration cake (pictured below), which can be found in many UK supermarkets.
Meal plan
While we’re on the topic, let’s look at your meal planning. This is definitely going to play an important role in helping you eat less meat.
Spend time each week going through your dinners. That way, you can ensure that you’re allocating yourself at least one or two meat-free meals to begin with. If you’re used to eating meat regularly, it can be daunting going completely meat-free straight away, so don’t be afraid to build up your weekly meat-free meals gradually.
Not only can meal planning help you to get organised, but it also gives you a chance to get creative; you may find that you end up experimenting with dishes you wouldn’t previously have considered and you can try different recipes.
Get inspired
It can be hard thinking of new meat-free recipe ideas if you’re not used to eating veggie or vegan. So, keep yourself inspired.
Talk to your friends and family for recipe inspiration. Invest in a vegetarian cookbook, look for new recipes online; no matter your cooking abilities, you’ll be able to find delicious dishes you’re capable of making.
Why not try my veggie chilli recipe to get started? It’s proven very popular with my readers!
Remind yourself
There might be weeks where your inspiration for meat-free meals is running low, but remind yourself why you wanted to start eating less meat in the first place. Whether it was to improve your diet, save some money, or do your bit to help the environment, you’re building a habit to last you a lifetime. Give yourself time to adjust to your new routine.
Making the decision to eat less meat comes with so many benefits and once you start, it will become second nature to you. You may even discover some new favourite dishes along the way.
Do you have any tips for eating less meat? I’d love to hear them!
This is a collaborative post.